Clasp.



E. S. KELLEY.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILE-D IEB.16, 1910.

984,928. Patented Feb. 2 1, 1911.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS ru e mamas PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. z:v

EBEN S. KELLEY, OF KELLEYS COVE, NOVA SGOIIA,

non

CANADA.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Application filed February 16, 1910. Serial No. 544,229.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBEN S. KELLEY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and

a resident of Kelleys Cove, in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominionof Canada, have invented a new and Improved Clasp, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in clasps suitable for clamping articlesgenerally, but especially adaptable as a holder or clasp for a cowstail, the clasp embodying two approximately U-shaped clamping members ofspring wire, with the arms of the members hinged together to permit ofthe members swinging to and from each other, one of the members beingrelatively wider than the other member to permit the arms of one memberto pass between the arms of the other member, with the wider memberhaving inwardly-extending catches or fingers, and the members having aslight relative lateral tilting movement at their hinged connection topermit of the arms of the narrower member being passed into engagementwith the catches, the members having gripping jaws between the catchesand hinged connection, with each set of jaws provided with intermeshinggripping helices, serving to effectively engage the article to which theclamp is applied without danger of cutting, these jaws being animportant feature of the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the clamp as applied to a cows tail; Fig. 2is a section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is anedge view of the clasp, with the clamping members released and slightlyswung apart.

In the construction of the clasp I employ two clamping members 5 and 6respectively,

of approximately U-form, and constructed of spring wire, the clampingmember 5 being made relatively wider than the clamping member 6 in orderthat the arms of the clamping member 6 can pass between the arms of theclamping member 5 when the clamping members are brought together. At theends of the arms of the clamping members 5 and 6, eyes 7 and 8 arerespectively formed, the eyes being engaged with each other, with theeyes 7 of the member 5 located in planes at approximately right-anglesto the plane of the eyes S of the clamp ing member 6, this manner ofconnecting the clamping members affording not only a hinged connectionbetween them, adapting the same to be swung to and from each other, but.also permitting the arms to be tilted slightly relatively to each otherin a lateral direction. The end portions of the wire forming each of theclamps after being fashioned to produce the respective eyes at the endsof the arms are helically wrapped each about its respective arm asubstantia distance, providing each set of clamping jaws'of the clampingmembers with intermeshing clamping helices, the winding of the wire onthe arms of the clamping member 5 being extended slightlybeyond thewindings on the arms of the clamping member 6, and turned inwardly atthe extremities to provide catches or retaining fingers 9, the catch orretaining finger at one side or arm of the clamping member beingarranged farther from the hinge of the clamp than the other. The arms ofthe narrow clamping member 0 each have a slight bend at the pointengaged by the finger 9, causing the free end portion of this member tostand slightly outwardly from the other clamping member when the twomembers are engaged, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby this outstandingportion of the narrow clamping member can be easily grasped with thefingers and operated to release the clamping members so that they can beswung apart. The relative lateral tilting movement between the clampingmembers, afforded by their hinged connection, permits the arms on theclamping member 6 to be readily engaged in successive order with thecatches, this engagement being facilitated by the arrangement of one ofthe catches in advance of the other, as described. Thus, in engaging theclamping members after the article is inserted between the aws, theclamping member 6, after the clamping members are swung together, ismoved to one side, and slightly tilted so as to pass one of its armsunder that catch or finger located nearest the hinge. After theengagement of this arm, the other arm is easily sprung under theopposite catch by reason of the resiliency of the wire of which theclamp is constructed. When the inner clamping member is passed under thefingers it is prevented from swinging to the opposite side of the outerclamping member and is firmly pressed to the fingers by the engagementof the hinged connections afforded by the eyes 7 and 8. To release theclamping members, that arm of the clamping member 6 en aged by the catchfarthest from the hinge, is first disengaged, and the clamping memberdrawn to this side of the clamp to release the opposite arm from theother catch, when the two clamping members are readily swung apart. Thewider clamping member 5 at its free end is bent to produce an eye 10, inwhich a cord or other flexible line can be attached for holding this endof the clamp, this eye also serving as a spring, adding to theresiliency of the arms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a clasp, two U-shaped clamping members of spring wire, the ends ofthe arms of the members hinged together, adapting the members to swingto and from each other and have a slight relative tilting movementlaterally, with one of the mem-' bers relatively wider than the other topermit of the arms of one member passing between the arms of the othermember, and

the arms of the members having gripping jaws adjacent to their hingedends, and the wider member having fingers extending inwardly from itsarms, with which the other member is adapted to engage when the membersare swung together by the relative lateral tilting movement between themembers.

2. In a clasp, two approximately U- 3. In a clasp, two approximately U-shaped clamping members, the free ends of which are formed into engagingeyes with the eyes of the members arranged in planes at approximatelyright angles toeach other,

and catches formed by the continuation of".

one of said eye-forming members under which the arms of the other memberare adapted to engage.

4:. A clasp comprising two approximately U-shaped wire clamping members,one of the members having inwardly-projecting retaining fingers, and thetwo mem bers having hinged connections adapting them to swing to andfrom each other and to have a slight relative lateral movement to permitof the engagementof the arms of the other of said clamping members withthe retaining fingers, said hinged connections arranged to press theinner member against the fingers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' EBEN S. KELLEY.

lVitnesses ROBERT S. MoKAY, 'HUGH I-I. Mason.

